mom or dad?

When a baby is born people immediately start asking who the baby looks like, the mother or the father. So far, most people think Elia looks more like me but lately, some people have said they see Todd in her.  I came across some baby pictures of Todd and me on my computer today so let's compare.

Does Elia look like Todd?

Or like me?

And here is a shot of Elia for reference.

I don't know what it is but I think this is so darn cute!

Well what do you think?  I know what my vote is, share yours below!

starting summer

Memorial Day weekend marks the beginning of summer and although the current temperatures don't reflect that, we're already onto summer things at the Neckers household.  Todd came home from work early on Friday to do some yard work.  Elia was a big help.

On Saturday afternoon we left for Silver Lake, our summer home away from home. 

After spending some time with Grandma and Grandpa N, Elia got ready for her very first boat ride.  

We think she liked it.  Or at least she didn't mind it, that's kind of her M.O. these days.

After dinner Elia got to have a fun night in with her grandparents while Todd and I enjoyed a few hours out at Bostwick Lake Inn.

Cheers to the start of a great summer!

baby books

Like many expectant parents, Todd and I did our share of reading about pregnancy and different parenting styles.  Now that we have a month of parenting under our belts, I thought I'd share some of my favorite books with you.

Pregnancy

Mommy IQ by Rosie Pope: If you've every seen Pregnant in Heels you'll know why I find Rosie Pope completely charming.  As I read this book I heard every word in Rosie's lispy British accent.  The book's tone is familiar and you feel like it's one of your girlfriends talking to you, reminding you that you can make it through these 40 weeks and that you're not alone on the journey.  The content is nothing groundbreaking but it's a funny, friendly read for first-time moms.

Baby Gear

Baby Bargains by Denise Fields: Recommended by my sister-in-law this book was a lifesaver as we worked on our baby registry.  There are so many different options for everything from strollers to bottles to cribs and everyone you talk to will have a different favorite.  This book offers objective reviews of baby products and also give recommendations for the best buys overall and at different price points.  We loved this book and thought it was worth its weight in gold.

Parenting

Bringing Up Bébé by Pamela Druckerman: This is my hands-down favorite.  The author and her husband started their family after moving to France and she starts noticing all of the differences between how the French parent as compared to the American parents that she knows.  As I read about the way that the French raise their children I kept saying to myself, "Of course that works, that makes total sense."  Some of the things she points out are cultural and would be hard to replicate outside of France but many are common sense and have to do with how French parents see their children.  I found myself reading passages aloud to to Todd over and over because I kept reading things that both reflected my ideas about parenting and new concepts that I hoped he could get behind.  He did.  Another fun, related read is Bébe Day by Day also by Druckerman.  This book provides the lessons from Bringing Up Bébé in short sections, basically a quick reference guide to the rules of French parenting.

Mayo Clinic Guide to Your Baby's First Year: After bringing your baby home from the hospital you are largely on your own.  Yes, you have your pediatrician, loving grandparents who successfully raised you, and tons of moms with advice to give but when you're at home alone with baby, you're on your own and bound to have questions about what is and isn't normal for a newborn.  We've already looked up a myriad of things from cradle cap to how long to store breast milk at different temperatures.  It's nice to have a go-to book from a trusted source to refer to instead of wading our way through the countless search results that come up online.

Brain Rules for Baby by John Medina: This was one of Todd's favorite parenting reads.  The subtitle of the book is "How to Raise a Smart and Happy Child form Zero to Five".  The author is a developmental molecular biologist who is also a parent and the book delves into the neuroscience behind baby's development.  He focuses on how you can put practices in place now that will help develop your child's brain in a way that will lead to long-term brain development.  He is actually qualified to make suggestions about what is good and what isn't for your child's development by taking the time to look at and synthesize lots of studies that either affirm or discredit common beliefs like the idea that playing Mozart to your child will make him smarter.  His goal is not to tell you how to raise your child's IQ but to provide parents with proven tools for helping the child's brain development.  Since he isn't the one who is conducting the studies he writes about he's able to look at them objectively.  He takes hard science and presents it through interesting stories and anecdotes - a very interesting read.

Of course there are many, many parenting books out there and many I'd still like to read.  On my reading list are:

The New Basics: A-to-Z Baby & Child Care for the Modern Parent by Michel Cohen
French Twist by Catherine Crawford
How Eskimos Keep Their Babies Warm by Mei Ling Hopgood
The Artful Parent by Jean Van't Hul
Parenting Without Borders by Christine Gross-Loh
French Kids Eat Everything by Karen Le Billon
The Idle Parent by Tom Hodgkinson

I'd love to hear what your go-to books for new parents and parents-to-be are.  What are your favorites?

one month young

Elia turned one month today (well, technically yesterday now...).  

Elia, we're so thankful that you are our daughter.  Your first month has been incredible, you bring us so much joy!  Happy one month, Bug.

celebration central

Has it already been over a week since I posted?  Goodness, gracious we have a lot to catch up on. The past week or so has been chock-full of celebration.

We spent more time last weekend with Uncle Joel, Aunt Kim, and Maddie.  Then, on May 7, we celebrated our two-year wedding anniversary.  While Todd and I went out for dinner, Elia stayed home with Grandma and Grandpa Lautenbach babysitting.  Before we left, we got a family photo in the same spot Todd and I took one just over a year ago when we bought our house.

2012

2013

A lot changes in a year, doesn't it?

The next day we went to Tulip Time.  It was the first time for both Elia and I.  After the parade Todd played tour guide at Hope College and we spent some time wandering the campus and the surrounding neighborhoods.  It was fun to see the places where he spent so much time and made such good friends and memories in college.

On Thursday night, Elia went to her first museum opening.  It was nice to pop in at work and see introduce my co-workers to E.

Our very talented daughter brought me breakfast in bed on Saturday morning.  She made me pancakes in honor of Mother's Day and she and Todd both gave me thoughtful, heartfelt cards.  Though I'm new at this, being a mom really is amazing - it's the best thing.

We had some friends visit on Saturday afternoon and then we celebrated Mother's Day with a brunch with both sets of grandparents on Sunday.  

What a week! It really has been celebration central over here for the past few weeks.  We are so thankful to have so much to celebrate in the last month.  It's an incredible feeling to be parents and to be blessed with a happy marriage and so many people supporting us and loving our daughter is extraordinary.

Visitors: Grandma and Grandpa Lautenbach + Mary S + Rebecca J + Allison B + Justin and Krista M

Milestones: Elia has a belly button!  Her cord stump fell off Saturday, May 4.